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Save Money by Stockpiling

Stockpiling is a great way to stretch your dollar at the grocery store. Learn how to save money and what items are best for stockpiling from one super money-saving mom.

Super Saver Tiffany Ivanovsky, who takes care of her family of nine, is a pro at stockpiling. This is the deal, if it's on sale and it's something you use a lot, then it's worth it to stockpile, provided it has a long shelf life.

With a family of nine, it's no surprise that the Ivanovsky's had to turn their dining room into their storage room with cereal, toiletries and cleaning supplies, all perfectly displayed.

"The entire idea of stockpiling is to buy everything you can at the lowest possible price, get as many as you can and then you are going to wait until you can get that lowest price again, and you are going to stock up again," she said.

To make it easy, Tiffany came up with 30 good items to stockpile, but make sure to think about your own needs too.

"(My list) is going to be completely different from yours," she said. "Just go through a month's grocery list and pick the items that your family is going to use the most."

Of course, before you stockpile any items, be sure to ask yourself some questions. Will you use it? How much of it will you use? How fast will the item go bad? Is it a good price, and where will you put it?

"If you don't need it, you don't want to stockpile it even if it's free, because it's just going to go bad," Tiffany said.

Some items that Tiffany stocks in the pantry include: peanut butter, canned fruit and vegetables, boxed pasta, canned meat, tuna, soup, jarred sauces and condiments for their versatility when it comes to cooking.

"Things like barbecue and salad dressing, and the reason why is because there are so many uses for that," Tiffany said.

In the freezer section, her top choices include frozen pizza, frozen juice and frozen fruits and vegetables.

"If I can get a great deal on frozen fruit, frozen vegetables, I want to stock up on those because those can be pricey sometimes," she said. "So if they are discounted, I will grab a bunch, bring them home and freeze them."

"Especially toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes," she said. "Things like that. Things that you are going to use all the time."

Tiffany says that by stockpiling items you use every day, you can potentially save 50 to 75 percent off of the retail price, depending on where you shop.

When it comes to food, check the best-by use date and try to stay within that range. Cleaning supplies are also good to stockpile, but be sure you store your items properly in the right temperature, so check the label. Also, it's a good idea to store your food items in the house and not the garage.

For more from Tiffany or to see her list of 30 good items to stockpile, visit her blog at MyLitter.com.